16/03/2005

McCartney family arrive for meetings in US

The family of murdered Belfast man Robert McCartney have arrived in the United States ahead of a series of meetings aimed at highlighting their case for justice.

Mr McCartney’s five sisters are expected to meet US Senator Ted Kennedy in Washington followed by talks with Senator Hillary Clinton.

On Thursday the family will then attend a St Patrick’s Day event where they will hand President Bush a dossier on their brother’s murder.

On arriving in the US on Tuesday, Catherine McCartney said she wanted to dispel to romantic vision of the IRA’s struggle which “in terms of what it was 10 years ago is now over".

"We are now dealing with criminal gangs who are using the cloak of romanticism around the IRA to murder people on the streets and walk away from it," she said.

"We are going to bring that reality home to Americans who have political and financial influence in Ireland.”

Wednesday’s meeting with Senator Kennedy will be looked upon with envious eyes by Sinn Fein whose leader Gerry Adams has been refused access to the Irish-American advocate because of the IRA's "ongoing criminal activity".

(MB/SP)

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

16 March 2006
McCartney family meet Senator Kennedy
The mother of murdered Belfast man Robert McCartney has met with senior US politician Edward Kennedy in Washington in a bid to persuade him to put pressure on Republicans to assist in bringing her son's killers to justice. Senator Kennedy met with Mrs McCartney, her sister and daughter and described them as "profiles in courage.
14 November 2024
Ministers Recognise Work Of US Special Envoy Joe Kennedy
The First Minister and deputy First Minister has thanked U.S. Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs, Joe Kennedy III, for his contribution to furthering economic links with the U.S. The Special Envoy is in Belfast for a series of events marking his term in office.
13 March 2009
Polish Pizza Gun Victim 'Recovering' After Surgery
On the same day as the bodies of the two soldiers shot dead in Antrim last weekend were being flown back home to England, it was announced that one of the pizza delivery men seriously injured by Real IRA gunmen during the same deadly attack is recovering well.
13 May 2005
McCartney family threatened by ‘criminal elements’
The family of murdered Belfast man Robert McCartney have blamed republicans for threatening to burn them out of their homes and businesses.
14 April 2005
McCartney sister threatened in Short Strand
A sister of murdered Belfast man Robert McCartney has claimed she was threatened at her home in the Short Strand area of the city. Paula McCartney said a woman told her she would be put out of the area and also that her family had to stop handing out leaflets about a vigil in Robert’s memory when they were confronted by about a dozen people.